The 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment of the United States Army first organized in 1917 as a railway gun unit. It continued in that role unit 1943, when the regiment was broken in separate railway gun battalions, and in the following year the units were reorganized and redesignated as field artillery. On 25 October 1962, in response to the buildup of Russian missiles in Cuba, the 2nd Missile Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery was deployed from the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas, to south Florida under the command of the 13th Air Defense Artillery Group. The south Florida units arrived with conventional high explosive warheads. In August 1963, the Army assigned the troops under the control of the 13th Artillery Group to the 53rd Artillery Brigade and the 2nd Region of Army Air Defense Command. The soldiers could now go off TDY status and bring their families, cars, and personal effects to south Florida. They could also move into more permanent living facilities and get access to amenities available at permanent installations.
Lineage
Organized 22 July 1917 in the Regular Army at Fort Adams, Rhode Island, as the 7th Provisional Regiment, Coast Artillery Corps, from units of the Coast Defenses of Long Island Sound, Eastern New York, Southern New York, Narragansett Bay, and Port Royal Sound. Moved overseas August 1917. Redesignated 5 February 1918 as the 52nd Artillery. While in France the unit was attached to the 30th Brigade, CAC, and armed with a variety of French- and British-made railway guns, including French 320 mm weapons. Returned to the US January 1919, moved to Fort Eustis, Virginia. In August 1921, the other railway artillery regiments were inactivated, and the 52nd was reorganized into 1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion, and 3rd Battalion. Redesignated 1 July 1924 as the 52nd Coast Artillery Regiment. In 1931 Batteries C and E and HHB, 2nd Battalion were posted at Fort Hancock, New Jersey. Battery D inactivated 1 November 1938 at Fort Monroe, Virginia; Battery F inactivated 1 February 1940 at Fort Monroe, Virginia; Batteries D and F activated 8 January 1941 at Fort Hancock; 1st Battalion activated 1 June 1941 at Fort Hancock. Battery D was at St. John's, Newfoundland in the Harbor Defenses of Argentia and St. John's with two 8-inch M1888 railway guns 1 May 1941 through 12 February 1942, when redesignated as Battery D, 24th Coast Artillery Regiment and Battery D transferred In December 1941 Batteries A and B and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion transferred to Hawaii to reinforce the 41st Coast Artillery there. Battery E ordered to Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound 16 December 1941, but two gun sections were detached to man two 8-inch Mk. VI railway guns at Manhattan Beach, California near Fort MacArthur. In May 1943 this detachment became Battery A, 285th CA Battalion. The other gun sections went to Port Angeles, Washington and on 17 April 1942 were redesignated as Battery X. Later transferred to Fort Casey; redesignated as Battery B, 285th CA Battalion on 30 March 1943. From March 1942 until 1 May 1943 Batteries C and D operated Batteries 20 and 21 at Fort Miles, Delaware, with four 8-inch Mk. VI railway guns per battery. Battery C was at Fort Hancock, New Jersey from early 1942 until transferred to Fort Miles in March 1942. 1st Battalion and Batteries A and B returned to Fort Hancock 16 February 1942. Reorganized with 8-inch Mk. VI railway guns and transferred to Fort John Custis, Virginia on 27 August 1942. Redesignated as the 286th CA Battalion 5 April 1943. Battery F reorganized with 8-inch Mk. VI railway guns at Fort Hancock, New Jersey after 20 February 1942; transferred to Camp Shelby, Mississippi and inactivated there 18 April 1944. Personnel distributed among five field artillery battalions. Regiment broken up 1 May 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: After 1 May 1943 the above units underwent changes as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 52nd Artillery Group, and the 538th, 539th, and 52nd Field Artillery Battalions consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated 30 June 1971 as the 52nd Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Withdrawn 16 April 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
A Gold color metal and enamel device in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a bend potenté Or. Attached below the shield a Gold scroll inscribed "SEMPER PARATUS" in Red letters.
Symbolism
The shield is red for Artillery. The gold potenté bend is an adaptation of the cottised bend on the arms of Champagne.
Background
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 538th Field Artillery Battalion on 29 December 1951. It was redesignated for the 52nd Artillery Regiment on 19 December 1958. It was redesignated for the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment effective 1 September 1971.
Coat of arms
Blazon
Shield
Gules, a bend potenté Or.
Crest
On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, a locomotive affronté Gules, charged with the numeral "52" Or. Motto SEMPER PARATUS.
Symbolism
Shield
The shield is red for Artillery. The gold potenté bend is an adaptation of the cottised bend on the arms of Champagne.
Crest
The crest alludes to World War I service in France.
Background
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 52nd Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps on 9 April 1921. It was redesignated for the 286th Coast Artillery Battalion and amended to delete the crest on 3 August 1944. It was redesignated for the 538th Field Artillery Battalion on 20 November 1944. The insignia was redesignated for the 52nd Artillery Regiment and amended to add a crest on 19 December 1958. Effective 1 September 1971, the insignia was redesignated for the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment.
Campaign participation credit
World War I: Champagne-Marne; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Champagne 1918; Lorraine 1918 World War II: Central Europe; Central Pacific; New Guinea ; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953 Vietnam: Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
